Improvement in milk-cans



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ALBAUM AND JAOOB EIsENL OF BROOKLYN, E. 1)., NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MILK-CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,243, dated September 18, 1877; application filed August 25, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK ALBAUM and JACOB EISENLA, both of Brooklyn, E. D., in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Milk-Cans, of which the following is a specification Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of our improved milk-can, showing the same locked. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view of the same, showing the cover unlocked.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section of the same, showing it locked.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in all the figures The object of this invention is to provide a milk-can with means for locking its cover, so as thereby to prevent the abstraction of milk from the can during transportation from the farmer to the dealer, and also to prevent the milk from being spilled in case of accidental overthrow of the can. The invention seeks to attain this object by providing the can with an immovable lock which is attached to the body of the can and engages a hasp or catch attached to the lid or cover. The dealer, after he has unlocked the can, may leave the cover shut without locking again by simply bringing the hasp out of the line of the look.

In the accompanying drawing, the letter A represents the body of a milk-can of suitable or ordinary construction. B represents the cover or lid of the same. This cover is made with a cylindrical downwardly projecting sleeve, a, which enters the neck d of the can in the usual manner. The top of the can is made flaring, as shown at b in the drawing. 0 is the lock. The same is fastened against the outer side of the cylindrical neck d, but extends through the flaring mouth b of the can, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This brings the top of the look within and the lower part of the look outside of the can. The lower part of the lock, which is on the outer side of the can, is provided with a key-hole to admit the key D. The upper part of the lock, which is within the mouth of the can, has a suitable opening for the reception of a catch, 0, which is fastened to the under side of the lid B, and which, when inserted into the look, as in Figs. 1 and 3, is engaged by the bolt or hook f of the look, so that thereby the lid is secured to the body of the can. For removing the lid, the key must be inserted into the lock and moved to disengage the hook f from the catch 0. Being once opened, the lid may be used without interference by the look, like every ordinary lid of a milk-can, by simply turning it so as to bring the catch 0 out of line with the look. This is shown in Fig. 2. The farmer, in whose interest principally the invention is devised, may look his cans before shipping them. They cannot be unlocked, nor their contents spilled or abstracted, until they reach the proper owner, who has a key wherewith to open the can. The can, once opened, may be used for retailing the contents, which requires the frequent removal and replacement of the cover, with which removal and replacement the look, as already stated, does not in the least interfere.

The advantage of the rigidly-attached look over the removable padlocks and removable devices heretofore used for closing cans is evident. Our lock cannot be misplaced nor lost, nor is it in the way of the catch if it is desired to leave the can unlocked, where, heretofore, cans having locks were not always adapted to be used like ordinary unlocked cans.

We claim as our invention The combination of the milk-can A, having the immovable lock 0 rigidly attached to its cylindrical contracted neck, with the cover B,

having the catch 6 rigidly secured to its lower side, said catch being adapted to engage in the look if brought in line with it, substantially as herein shown and described, all arranged so that the can may be closed without bringing the catch e into the look, as specified.

FRANK ALBAUM. J AOOB EISENLA.

Witnesses AV. BRIESEN, JAMES TUBK. 

